Stand for photographic cameras, telescopes, and other scientific instruments.



No. 821,335. PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

W. BUTLER.

STAND FOR PHOTOGRAPHIG CAMERAS, TELESO'OPES, AND OTHER SGIE INSTRUMENTS.

6. APPLICATION FILBgTiULY 11, 190 3 S E S 1 N TIFIG WEEBSBB Flam wa No.821,335. PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.- W. BUTLER. STAND FOR PHOTOGRAPHIGCAMERAS, TELESGOPES, AND OTHER SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILEJ JIJDULY I L IQQB. 3 SfiEB-TSSHEET 2.

No. 821,835. PATENTED MAY 22, 1906. W. BUTLER.

STAND FOR PHOTOGRAPHIG CAMERAS, TELESGOPBS, AND OTHER SCIENTIFICINSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION 121 ED 11 1905. v

LY 3SHBETS-SHEET3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BUTLER, OF BIRKDALE, ENGLAND. STAND FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERAS,TELESCOPES AND OTHER SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratented May 22, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BUTLER, engineers manager, a subject of theKing of Great Britain, residing in Birkdale Soutlip ort in the county ofLancaster, in the Kingdom of England, have invented certain newanduseful Improvements in Stands for Photographic Cameras, Telescopes, andother Scientific Instruments, (for whichapplication has been made inGreat Britain, No. 18,718,

, dated August 30, 1904,) of which the following is a'specification.

This invention has for its object improvements in stands forphotographic cameras, telescopes, and other scientific instrumentswhereby the camera or other instrument can be brought to and held at anyconceivable anglethat is to say, the lens or instrument can be held atany desired angle relative to theobject. It may be held pointing di-"rectly upward or downward and the legs can be so arranged that when inthe latter of these positions they do not come into the line of vision.The camera or instrument may even be completely inverted.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will nowbe had to the accompanying drawings, in which the invention is shown asapplied to a tripod, and in which- Figure 1 is a general view of atripod constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a similarV16W to Fig. 1, showing, however, one method of using theextensionpieces, which will be hereinafter described.

pod-head. Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12 are detail views of the swivel-pointattachments fitted on the ends of the legs shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In carrying out the invention the usual tripod-head a is arranged so asto receive three swiveling blocks d, upon which the legs 0 are capableof pivoting. f The method of securing the individual legs 0 to theswiveling blocks (1 is as f llows? Cone-sha ed projections e areprovided at the sides 0 the blocks d, and over these projections fitlinks f, which are also suitably connected to the legs 0 by bolts andwinged nuts 9. Connecting the two links secured to each leg is a furtherbolt and winged nut h, which carries a distancesleeve 7' between thelinks f, so as to keep them apart. The swiveling blocks (1 are securedto the tripod-head a by means of winged nuts k, 'takin over bolts 1,secured in the tripod-head a y pins or bolts m, which pass through theexterior of thetripod-head a and through the heads of the bolts or byother con venient means.

As shown in Fig. 2, it is sometimes desirable to employ anextension-piece, as n, which in this case is shown asconnected to thelinks f and to the top. of the legs a, in connection with which it isused. It will of course be possible to lace these extension-pieces onone, two, or a l of the legs. Also, if desired, instead of fixing themas shown in the drawings they could be secured direct to the blocks cland the links f secured between their lower.

ends and the tops of the legs, as shown in Fig. 2*.

The legs are rovided with the ordinary sliding pieces 0, Exed in ositionby means of winged nuts 19. At the ottorn of the sliding pieces 0, asabove indicated, and shown in Figs. 9, 10,11, and 12 in detail, aswivelingpo1nt gis used, in order to enable a better grip to be obtainedwhen the legs are spread out to a large extent and under exceptionalconditions. This swivelingoint q is mounted in a sliding holder 1", whoitself is adjustable in a. hollow tube 8, mounted in the sliding piece 0of the legs. the holder 1 is shown as connected to the tube 8 by meansof a bayonet-joint t, with an addi In Figs. 9, 10, and 11 mit theswiveling-point g to be turned at an angle to the leg,1n the case of thebayonetjoint, it is simp ynecessary to take the point, as shown in Fig.11, and to turn it, and therefore also the holderr, round somewhat inthe tube .9 from right to left and then draw it down a small extent, sothat the pin on the holder rpasses down the vertical slot of thebayonet-joint, and turn it again somewhat, when said point can be turnedabout its pivot so as to brlng one or other of the re cesses v in a linewith the lower end of the tube 8, so that this lower end will engage inone of the recesses '22 When the holder r is moved up the tube 8 againand the pin of the bayonetejoint at the same time enters the verticalslot t in the tube 8, the point g being thus held in position.

In the modification shown in Fig. 12 the action will be obvious. Theset-screw u is slackened and the holder 7 allowed to come out to acertain extent. The point is then turned and the holder 7' moved backagain somewhat, so that one of the recesses o engages on the end of thetube 8, after which when the point g has been turned to the anglerequired the set-screw is againtightened up.

Figs. 5 to 8 show some typical positions into which the tripod-head acan be placed, enabling the camera to be held at the various anglesshown as examples. In Fig. 6 it will be obvious that the angle betweenthe link and the leg at g will enable the tripod-head a to be turned toa very steep angle and yet will not necessitate the bottom ends of thelegs covering a very large area. In Fig. 7 one pair of the links f isshown as turned at right angles to the leg 0, which is vertical andimmediately under the extended front of the camera. (Shownindottedlines)Afirmsup-.

port of this nature is very desirable when the camera front is muchextended, especially when provided with telephoto or other heavy lenses.Fig. 8 shows the tripod-head a in a vertical position. In this positionit will be obvious that the front legs 0 can be brought practicallyparallel to one another, turning by means of their respectiveswivelblocks d.

The main advantages of this improved ,tripod-stand shortly set forth maybe expressed as follows: It is possible to place the tripodhead a at anyangle desired, while the legs 0 can be held at any suitable angle theone relative to the otherthat is to say, it is not necessary that inplan view they should always be at an angle of one hundred and twentydegrees the one relative to the other, as in the usual tripod. This isspecially useful when such positions as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 8 areused, as otherwise in order to get the steep inclination of thetripod-head shown it would be necessary to spread out the front legs ofthe camera so as to occupy a great amount of ground. In fact, theposition shown in Fig. 8 could not be attained without the swivelingblocks (Z. Further, the links at the top of the legs make for economy ofspace in an instance such as shown in Fig. 6 and also enabledifiiculties which are often felt, owing to the unevenness of theground, to be overcome, as by their means the angle which the legs makewith the vertical can be varied within very large limits withoutentailing loss of rigidity. The camera (or other instrument) may beadjusted in elevation to a certain extent by means of the side links fwithout disturbing the position of the legs 0 or swivel-pointattachments at the ends of same when once arranged. By means of theswivel-point attachments at the ends of the legs the slipping of thetripod is obviated when working on rock or other smooth surfaces, as thepoints may be placed under all circumstances approximately perpendicularto their supports, (the ground, wall, tree, &c.,) and in the case of thearrangement shown in Fig. 12 quite irrespective of the position the legsmay be in in relation to the tripod-head a.

I declare that what I claim is 1. In a stand for the purposes specified,a head, a plurality of links, universal joints connecting said head tothe respective links, and a leg pivoted to each link.

2. In a stand for the purposes specified, a head, a plurality of links,universal joints located entirely below the lower surface of said headand connecting said head to the respective links, as many legs as thereare links, and pivotjoints between the links and the upper ends of therespective legs, the pivot for each leg being transverse to one of theaxes of the universal joint of the same le 3. In a stand for thepurposes specified a head, a plurality of blocks adapted to swivel onand secured to said head, links secured to said blocks, said blocks andlinks being provided with cones and corresponding recesses, means fortightening said blocks and links the one relative to the other, legssecured to said links, and means for gripping the ground on the ends ofsaid legs.

4. In a stand for the purposes specified, a head, recesses on the underside of said head, a plurality of blocks adapted to swivel, a pin foreach of said blocks, a head on each of said pins, further pins adaptedto secure the heads of said pins to the head, nuts adapted to secureeach of said blocks to said pin, links secured to each of said blocks,legs secured to said links, and means for gripping the ground on each ofsaid legs.

5. In a stand for the purposes specified, a

.head, a plurality of blocks adapted to swivel on and secured to saidhead, links secured to said blocks, bolts and nuts for tightening eachpair of said links relative to said blocks, a distance-piece on saidbolts, legs secured to and adapted to turn relative to said links, andmeans for gripping the ground on the ends of said legs.

6. In a stand for the purposes specified, a head, a plurality of blocksrespectively pivoted to said head, links pivoted to said blocks, andlegs whose upper ends are pivoted to said links.

7. In a stand for the purposes specified, a head, a plurality of blocksrespectively pivoted to said head, links pivoted to said blocks, legswhose upper ends are pivoted to said links, and feet pivoted to thelower ends of said legs.

8. In a stand for the purposes specified, a

IIO

head, a plurality of. blocks adapted to swivel on and secured to saidhead, legs, means pivotally connecting said blocks. and legs forpermitting the upper end of each leg to swing in an arc relative to itsrespective block in a'plane parallel to the base of the head, and apivoting-point on the ends of said legs.

9. In a stand for the purposes specified, a head, a plurality of legseach adapted to turn in a plane parallel to said head, a tube in the endof said legs, a holder ada ted to slide in said tube, a pivoting-point aapted to pivot in said holder and provided with recesses in its head.

10. In a stand for the purposes specified, a head, legs secured to saidhead and capable of being turned in a plane parallel to said head and toswing in\a plane at right angles to said head, a pivoting-point on theend of each of said legs, and means for holding said pivoting-point atan angle to said legs.

11. In a stand for the purposes specified, a head, legs secured to saidhead and adapted to be turned in a plane parallel with said head and tobe moved in aniarc about their point of attachment to said head, asliding piece connected to each of said legs, and means for gripping theground on the end of said legs.

12. In a standfor the purposes specified, a head, a plurality of pivotsprojectlng downward from the under side of said head, blocks rotary onsaid pivots, pivot-pins on the respective blocks and at right angles tosaid pivots, links supported at one end by said pivot-pins, pivots atthe other ends of said inks parallel to said pivot-pins, and legs whoseupper ends are respectively pivoted to the last-named pivots, and clampsfor the first and last pivots.

13. In a stand for the urposes specified, a head, .a plurality of bloc.s adapted to swivel on and secured to said head, links secured to eachof said blocks, legs, extension-pieces adapted to be securedintermediate said head and said legs, a socket in the end of each ofsaid legs, a sliding holder in each of said sockets, a pivoting-point ineach of said hold ers, means for securing said pivoting-points both inalinement with and at an angle to their respective legs.

14. In a swiveling-point for the purposes specified, a socket, a slidingholder capable of longitudinal movement in said socket, a pivoting-pointin said holder, means for securing said point in alinement with and atan angle to said socket.

15. In a stand for the purposes specified, a head, legs secured to saidhead, a holderpiece adapted to slide in each of said legs and guided bya bayonet-joint, a pivotal point in each of said holder-pieces, eachprovided with recesses in their respective heads, means on said legs forengaging the recesses of said points.

16. In a stand for the pur oses specified, a pivotal point provided withrecesses in its head a sliding holder for said point, a socket adaptedto receive said sliding holder, a projecting edge on said socket adaptedto be engaged by one of the recesses in the head of the point in thehighest position of said holder and in the inclined position of saidpoint, means for holding said holder in its inner position relative tosaid socket.

17. In a swiveling-point for the purposes specified, a socket, a holdercapable of being turned in and of sliding in said socket a pivotal pointin said holder means for securing said point in alinement and at anangle to said, socket.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 29th day ofJune, 1905, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. WILLIAM BUTLER.

Witnesses:

JoHN LONGTON LOWE, IIUBERT PUMPHREY.

